


Inktober 2019

by grarnarye



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Touhou Project, ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Genre: Comedy, F/F, Fluff, Inktober 2019, Introspection, M/M, Manipulation, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-10-30 03:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20807510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grarnarye/pseuds/grarnarye
Summary: A collection of writings based on (most) of the prompts from Inktober 2019. This collection will be multi-fandom; the prompt and characters will be displayed in the chapter title, and each chapter will have its own summary. All of them are SFW, though some might include blood, gore, or death.Enjoy!Current Chapter: Day 10 - Pattern (Tsumugi Shirogane)THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MASSIVE DANGANRONPA V3 SPOILERS, AS WELL AS SPOILERS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.





	1. Day 1 - Ring (Hong Meiling/Sakuya Izayoi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _...She’d already handled one year, eleven months, and 364 days as Sakuya’s partner. She could wait for twenty-two minutes and forty seven seconds._
> 
> Meiling wants to give something to Sakuya that will change their lives forever.

Hong Meiling walked swiftly down the well-worn dirt path, taking care to keep her strides even and uniform. The three large bags of groceries she was carrying in each hand were not to be disturbed under any circumstances; these were the orders given to her by Remilia Scarlet every two weeks. She would shop for groceries in the human village with the mansion’s funds, get what she needs (plus a little excess), and return as swiftly as possible. To her, it was a routine that’s been followed to the letter for the past 21 years, 8 months, and 144 days. To call it trivial would be an understatement. And yet…

When Meiling exited the thick of the trees and the splendor of the Scarlet Devil Mansion came into view, she hesitated. She gently dropped the bags and quickly opened one of them, sifting through its contents. She searched for only a moment before she found what she was looking for; a small, wooden box, marked with a simple engraving of an English word she wasn’t familiar with. She was told by the shopkeeper that it meant “Love”, though.

She teased the box open, letting the object inside catch the light. It was a thin silver ring, adorned with four sparkling crystals surrounding a larger crystal in the center. She turned the box slightly, and the crystals almost appeared to dance as they sparkled. Meiling allowed herself a modest smile, took a deep breath, and closed the box. Steeling herself, she put the ring in her breast pocket and gathered up the bags in her calloused hands, resuming her journey with one thing on her mind.

Today, Hong Meiling was going to ask Sakuya Izayoi to be her wife.

* * *

Meiling counted down the hours, minutes, and seconds. Once Meiling took her post at the gate at ten AM, Sakuya would check on her every two hours, on the dot, until ten PM. According to her mental count, it’s been one hour, twenty-three minutes and five-- no, six seconds since she first started her shift. 

Meiling didn’t have a watch, but she didn’t need one. That was one of the many benefits of her Qi training. Even so, despite all her training, she felt the ring practically burning a hole in her pocket and weighing her down. Yet, she’d already handled one year, eleven months, and 364 days as Sakuya’s partner. She could wait for twenty-two minutes and forty seven seconds. And so, she did.

At 11:40:03 AM, Marisa Kirisame flew over the mansion’s gate, whooping and giving Meiling a wave. The gate guard didn’t bother stopping her; she’d noticed that Patchouli seemed a little down lately.

At 11:44:54 AM, the ice fairy managed to freeze nine fish in the lake at once. This was a new personal best for her, based on her excited reaction.

At 11:51:12 AM, Rumia, the darkness youkai, bumped into the wall of the gate again. Meiling gave her a polite greeting and helped guide her away from the mansion. 

At 11:55:02 AM, Alice glided up to the gate. Her and Meiling exchanged small talk for 3 minutes and 22 seconds before Alice was let in.

At 11:59:11 AM, the main entrance door opened.

At 11:59:23 AM, the main entrance door closed.

At 11:59:59 AM, Sakuya Izayoi was inside the mansion.

At 12:00:00 PM, Sakuya Izayoi was outside of the gate, making her way towards Meiling from the left side. “Hong,” she stated simply.

At 12:00:01 PM, Meiling felt her resolve melt away like butter on a hot stove. 

“Ah, S-Sa-- Miss Izayoi,” she said. “It’s about that time, huh?”

“I don’t need to remind you on our policy about the witch, do I?” Meiling turned to see Sakuya crossing her arms, a cold look in her eyes; the same look she always had when working. 

“Not at all, Miss Izayoi.” 

“And yet, she’s freeloading in the library as we speak.”

“W-well…” 

Sakuya tutted, closing the distance between the two. “From what I’ve heard, you didn’t even attempt to stop her.” 

“Er… I was distracted?” Meiling giggled nervously. Even though she was positive Sakuya knew just as much as her about how Patchouli felt, she had to keep up appearances. When Sakuya was fanning knives in between her fingers, it just so happened to be a very threatening one. Hopefully one that wouldn’t hurt, but she could never quite predict that part.

Sakuya held her gaze for a few excruciating moments, coolly examining her. After what felt like much too long, she sighed and closed her eyes, spinning on her heels towards the lake. Without facing the guard, she said, “You have something in your breast pocket.”

It wasn’t a question; it was stated as a simple truth. Meiling felt her pulse skyrocket. “U-um, yeah, that’s right!” 

“May I see it?”

“No!” Meiling answered a little too quickly. When Sakuya gave her a puzzled glance, she scrambled to correct herself; “Er, not yet! Soon, maybe? It’s something really special that I wanted to show you, but- but later. Not now.” She pasted a lopsided smile onto her face while she mentally kicked herself. The gate guard felt her mental image of the proposal begin to collapse like a house of cards. Playing it smooth was completely out of the window at this point.

Sakuya fully turned to face Meiling once more, her expression unreadable. “Hong, is there something you wanted to tell me?”

Gods damnit, this woman was way too observant. Meiling gulped, straightening up as tall as she could. Clearing her throat to try and suppress her nerves, she said, “Yes… yeah, there is.”

“Feel free.” She pulled out her pocket watch and glanced at it, continuing, “However, make it quick; there’s something that needs my attention in a few minutes.” 

Now that she’s started, Meiling knew she couldn’t stop; she also knew that she would need more than a couple minutes for this. They both would. “Miss Izayoi… er, Sakuya.” Sakuya’s eyebrows raised slightly, but she continued, her confidence returning by the second. “This is... something I’ve waited to give to you for so long. I don’t want to be put on a time limit for it.” She stepped forward, resting strong hands on Sakuya’s shoulders. “I don’t want to give this to you as subordinates of the mansion, but as two equals.”

Sakuya, eyes wider, softer, seemed lost for an answer- but only for a moment. “Yes, of… of course. Go ahead, Meiling.” She slowly closed her stopwatch and put it away, regaining her composure.

At the mention of her given name, Meiling sighed in relief. Fighting the urge to tightly hug her partner--that can come later--she took a step back, steadying her breath. Sakuya folded her arms politely, searching Meiling. At this point, the guard knew there would be no taking things back… so, she began.

“Sakuya… for so many years, you’ve been at the Scarlet Devil Mansion with us. Sakuya Izayoi, the head maid… you’re the one who makes things tick. Incredibly diligent, hard-working… If I’m being honest, I don’t think the mansion would still be standing if you weren’t here. Most of all though, you have… compassion. You know the mansion better than perhaps even Mistress Remilia, and, and you always wanted the best for it. For Mistress, for Patchouli, for Koakuma, for Flan, and even for me, just some gate guard… That’s what made me love you.

“And, I… For two years, now, I’ve felt like, more than just the mansion, I couldn’t live without you, a-and-” stop choking up damnit- “it’s like you’ve always been in my life. I can’t even remember when you weren’t here, and I, I want to be able to have you in my life for as long as I possibly can…” Meiling took several deep breaths, blinking away the tears. Through her blurry vision, she could see Sakuya’s red face with her hands clasped against her chest. Meiling started laughing, she couldn’t be more relieved. 

“What I’m trying to say is,” she digs through her breast pocket, her shaky hands pulling out the ring box as she gets down on one knee, “Sakuya Izayoi, will you be my wife?”

She wasn’t sure if it was Sakuya’s powers at work, but at that moment, it felt like the world stopped. Nobody was moving except for Sakuya: her breathing shaky, her face sporting an uncharacteristic wobbly smile, her tears pricking at the edge of her vision, her slender, calloused reaching out towards Meiling.

In this moment of stopped time, holding the engagement ring, looking up at Sakuya, Meiling could only think one thing. 

_ She’s beautiful. _


	2. Day 2 - Mindless (Koishi Komeiji)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Of course, “thinking” wasn’t really the right word, was it? I never really thought about stuff, at least not anymore, ‘cause that was always inconvenient._
> 
> Koishi wanders the place that she calls Home.

Something was off.

I couldn’t quite place it, but things were definitely a bit weird. By what metric, I wasn't sure, but it’s hard to mistake a sense of wrong-ness. Wrong-ness is bad at hiding, though; that much I knew. What was it that was wrong, though? I should definitely figure that out.

Fortunately, that mystery solved itself pretty quick; I pulled up my dress and, lo and behold, some of that Insides Juice was running down the outside of my leg. It was coming from a pretty large gash on my thigh. The Juice was leaking out from the new-found (or maybe it was old?) injury at a slow and consistent rate. Now that I’ve looked, I also happened to notice that my dress around that area was pretty badly torn up, too. Huh. Weird. 

I tapped my chin, thinking about it for a moment. Of course, “thinking” wasn’t really the right word, was it? I never really thought about stuff, at least not anymore, ‘cause that was always inconvenient. No, it was my feelings I was concerned about. When did I start feeling weird? Probably for a while, at least, but I wasn't keeping track anyway. 

Just to make sure, I took a good look around wherever I might be. Fortunately, it was one of the few places I remember from before The Thing I Did, along with The Surface and My House and My Special Hiding Place (though I don’t really like visiting the last one anymore). Apparently, I happened to wander into That One Part Of Old Hell, the place with all of the pointy rubble and smolders left over from fallen structures. That explains it, then; I must’ve hurt myself on one of the sharp bits while wandering around. Oh well!

After I sat there for a few minutes, or an hour, or whatever amount of time may have passed ‘cause I always forget when I check so I just don’t bother, I realized that the cut in my leg was still leaking the Inside Juice. At this point, it was starting to get pretty red, and it looked like some of the Juice had even dried up. I vaguely remembered something Sis said about that, about how I should go back Home if I got hurt. I guess this was enough to qualify for “hurt”, but did I want to go back, really? I took a good look around again. 

Eh.

That One Part Of Old Hell would still be here if I left. Probably. I wasn't too sure how that worked, but it was real convenient whenever I found myself back where I wanted to be again. A part in the back of my head itched slightly, and then I remembered the word: instinct. Yeah, that. It’s easy to remember places I’ve already been to before All That; it’s kind of like a radar, but inside my body instead of on a boat. Something like that. With that dilemma settled, I headed off to Home. 

* * *

  
  


When I reached Home, I entered the front door like I always do. I opened my mouth to speak to Sis and Okuu and Orin and let them know, but then I had a brilliant idea: what if I didn’t do that, and I got to surprise Sis instead? That sounded hilarious! They could always know I was Home later, anyway. So, I snuck down the huge hallways of Home, going on my tippy toes. I didn’t really need to do that since they won’t see me anyway (unless they try really hard) but it felt right, and I always do what I feel is right, so on my tippy toes I was. It took a while to reach the kitchen, walking like this, but that was fine. Luckily, my instincts were right; Sis was there, readin’. Readin’ a book. And sipping tea, too, I guess. 

I kept up my sneaky act until I was riiiight behind Sis, and she hadn’t noticed me yet so that was perfect, and waiting for the perfect moment… I clamped my hands on her shoulders and yelled! She would’ve jumped up at least ten feet in the air if I didn’t have my hands on her, and she basically knocked the chair over anyway. I giggled as she fell on her butt and the chair clattered across the floor. Sis caught her breath, managing to wheeze out, “Koishi… d-don’t scare me like that.” 

I pouted. “Aw, why not?” 

“It’s bad for my heart…” Sis set the book down back on the table and stood up, brushing herself off. Her Thing wobbled around, looking every which way as she got herself together. Just like a googly eye. “Anyway, welcome home, Koishi. It’s good to see you…” she trailed off as she scanned me up and down. I folded my hands behind my back and rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet, waiting for her to continue. 

Eventually, she pulled a funny look. “Koishi, you’re hurt.”    
  


“Hmm? Oh yeah, I guess I am.” I guessed that’s what that annoying stinging was about. Didn’t bother me though, no ma’am.

“What did I tell you about playing in the Ruined City?” She sighed.   
  
“Ummm… I don’t remember.” 

“Mm,” she said, and that was the end of that conversation. She took my hand and led me somewhere else in the house, how kind of her, which turned out to be the bathroom. “Let’s get you washed up,” Sis said. 

Uh oh.

“Awww… but why?” I pouted and looked up at Sis with my best impression of puppy eyes. She should know that I hate water! If Orin were here, she’d vouch for me; she hates water too. “Where’s Orin?” 

“She’s with Okuu, and that’s not the point,” she said sternly. “You have to be more careful in the Ruined City, Koishi. It’s very dirty, and you can get hurt easily, like you did just earlier.” 

Oh right, I was hurt. “Well, what’s that mean? Water sucks, so…” 

“I want to make sure the wound doesn’t get infected.”

Well, that seemed pointless. I pouted and to prove my own point, she pressed where the stinging was and ow that hurt. I must’ve made a face, ‘cause Sis’ look softened up.

“I promise it won’t take long, alright?” Sis reassured me, not that how long it took really mattered; I just wanted to go play with Okuu and Orin. 

“Can I play with Orin and Okuu after?” I voiced as much. 

She kinda hesitated, but then she answered, “...Okay. I’ll let you know where they are, and I’ll give you a memo so you don’t forget, alright?” 

Good enough for me. I chirped happily, and Sis took that as confirmation. I didn’t really pay attention to the next few minutes, but it ended up with me in the tub surrounded by bunch of warm, soapy bubbles. I ducked the bottom of my head under the water and blew out, watching it bubble up, adding bubbles to the bubbles. Bubbly Koishi. Suddenly, Sis started rubbing that stuff in my hair that gets all the dirt out, and it felt real nice. 

Now that I was in the tub, it didn’t seem so bad after all; the bubbles were really fun, even! Scrub a dub dub, bubbles in the tub. I gave them an experimental splash, and they scattered all around, and I think Sis said something but I wasn’t really paying attention. Oh well! 

Whatever it was, I would’ve forgotten it, anyway.


	3. Day 4 - Freeze (Cirno and Hata no Kokoro)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Cirno jumped up, quickly putting her hands on her hips. Someone dared to approach the territory of Cirno, the strongest fairy, without a reason?_
> 
> A frozen ice fairy encounters a woman with a frozen face.

Cirno sighed. Another day of freezing frogs. The ice fairy loved freezing them as much as the next guy, but it was starting to get boring. She hadn’t visited Dai or any of the other fairies in days, and not even her friend squad (which she was totally the leader of, by the way) had come to visit her on the coast of Misty Lake. Theoretically, she knew that the fairies were probably busy, and Wriggle and Mystia and Rumia had their own stuff to do, but still. Would they really neglect their coolest friend for that long? 

“Jerks… every single one of them…” Cirno got ready for another great big sigh when something rustled in the bushes. She froze, every muscle in her fairy body tensing up. Looking towards the source of the sound, she waited; sure enough, it rustled again. And again.

Cirno jumped up, quickly putting her hands on her hips. Someone dared to approach the territory of Cirno, the strongest fairy, without a reason? Using the deep breath she held from before, she bolstered her voice. “Hey, who are you!? If you’re not scared, come out and show yourself!” 

The bushes seemed to stop for a moment, like the leaves themselves were contemplating their next course of action. What happened next wasn’t the leaves attacking, though; it was some… weirdly-dressed person with a mask stepping out. She held a completely expressionless face, and her teal flannel shirt was mussed up with leaves and sticks. Nonetheless, Cirno didn’t falter. “You’re in the territory of Cirno, the ice fairy! What do you have to say for yourself, stranger!?” 

The stranger blinked. Her face didn’t change expression, but the mask switched to a different one, and she said, “Um… my name is Hata no Kokoro. I’m a Menreiki.” 

“That’s not what I asked!” 

“It isn’t?” Hata no Kokoro tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. Yet, her face wasn’t changing. 

Cirno was a little weirded out. “Never mind. Why’s your face frozen like that?” 

“Frozen?” Her mask shifted to a surprised-looking one, and she hugged herself with her arms. Her face stayed neutral, though, as she continued, “It’s not frozen... “   
  


“Yeah, it is.” Her previous task completely forgotten, Cirno kicked off the ground and buzzed over to Kokoro. She looked up and poked Kokoro in the cheek. “Are you just really bored or something?” 

“I’m not bored…!” Cirno could almost hear the poutiness in Kokoro’s voice, despite the lack of expression.

“Then you should show it! C’mon, give me your best angry face.” Cirno hopped back and floated eye-level with Kokoro, grinning triumphantly. “I bet you can’t!”

“I told you, I’m a Menreiki!” Her mask shifted again, a comically angry one, as she stamped her foot. 

“Listen, weird lady, I dunno what that means. Can you be angry or not?” 

“What do you think this is?” Kokoro raised her voice, flapping her arms aggressively. 

“Uh… I dunno, interpretive dance I guess?” Cirno looked puzzled. 

“I’m not dancing!” There was steam practically rising out of her ears now, and out of that angry-looking mask to boot. “You’re making me super mad!” 

A-ha, progress! If Cirno pushed her a little more, then maybe… “Oh, yeah? You don’t look mad, you just look like a lumberjack’s theater reject daughter!” She stuck her tongue out and gave a raspberry just for the extra effect. 

“Oh, that’s it! If it’s a fight you want, I won’t hold back on you!” Kokoro yelled.

Cirno laughed heartily. That was a total success! She boosted backwards towards the lake, turning her head back to look at the situation, and saw… Hata no Kokoro’s face was the same as it was a minute ago. The only thing that changed was those masks, things that seemed to be glowing blue with some kind of energy. Masks that were very, very quickly gaining on her. The ice fairy’s eyes widened.

“Oh, cr-” was all she managed to say before a mask slammed her into the water. 

The resulting beatdown was one that Cirno would feel for the next four days, and one that taught her a painful lesson: Don’t make fun of anyone with a frozen face. 


	4. Day 5 - Build (3 Fairies of Light)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _By some miracle, they had the same exact thought at the same exact time. It was obvious, though; when all other options were exhausted, there was only one thing that a fairy would naturally turn to._
> 
> Luna Child and Star Sapphire come up with their best prank yet.

It was another summer day in Gensokyo. The sun beat down mercilessly, bringing a suffocating warmth to the atmosphere. A wave of summer haze could be seen across the horizon any way you looked. For anyone who dared to go outside, the heat had no reprieve. There was no breeze anywhere in sight. As far as Gensokyo was concerned, this was the hottest day of the year.

Despite this, Sunny Milk, the sunlight fairy, had decided to sleep in.

“This is just ridiculous,” Luna Child, the moonlight fairy, said. “How can she still be asleep at a time like this?” She stood in Sunny’s bedroom, hovering near her bed with a look of incredulity plastered on her face. 

Nearby, Star Sapphire, the third fairy of the Fairies of Light, was observing the situation with a more contemplative expression. Folding her arms behind her back, she chimed in, “Well, it  _ is _ pretty darn hot. You know how Sunny gets during the summer.” 

Luna sighed. “I know, but this is just... “ she gestured to Sunny sprawled out on the bed like a fresh corpse. 

“Well, have you tried waking her up?” 

“Of course I have. I’ve poked her all over, I shook her around, and I even tried giving her a wet willy. Sunny’s out cold.” 

“Hmm…” Star rested a hand on her chin. A few moments passed in silence.

Suddenly, there was a moment of clarity. It was as if a lightning bolt had passed between Luna and Star, like their minds had been connected into one. Slowly, they turned to each other, both of their faces splitting into a mischievous grin in unison. By some miracle, they had the same exact thought at the same exact time. It was obvious, though; when all other options were exhausted, there was only one thing that a fairy would naturally turn to. That singular idea was presented as clear as day, given away by the glint in their eyes.

“Wanna stack a tower on Sunny’s head?” Luna asked. 

The answer was obvious. “Let’s do it,” Star replied.

The prank pact was sealed.

* * *

  
  


From what Star knew, there were twelve plates, twelve bowls and fifteen mugs in their cupboard. One for each of them, plus three extra sets which doubled as a contingency in case there were any visitors. Luna was an avid coffee drinker, so she blew through mugs rather quick; for that reason, there were three extra mugs. 

More than half of that cupboard was currently stacked on top of Sunny’s unmoving forehead. 

Star placed the sixth mug on top of the precarious stack of ceramics they had created. She let go and backed away very slowly, taking care to keep the beat of her wings from disturbing the air around her. She could sense Luna heading towards the bedroom, so she quickly touched down and turned to face the door just as she came in. 

“Excellent work so far, Luna,” Star said. She clapped her hands together. “This is going to be our best prank in weeks!” 

Luna carefully set her current pile of plates and bowls onto the nightstand before responding. “It’s going so smoothly, too! Sunny hasn’t moved an inch.” 

“Let’s hope it stays that way, hm?” Star skipped over to the nightstand and picked a bowl from the pile. She looked back and forth between it and the stack, contemplating the best way to put it on top.

“Though, I’ve been wondering…” Luna said. There was an unsure tone in her voice; though that wasn’t exactly odd for her. 

“Shoot,” Star said as she flitted off the ground. 

“What’s the point of this prank again?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Is Sunny really going to be getting anything out of this? I mean, she’s asleep.” 

“Don’t be silly, Luna,” Star said. She adjusted the bowl in her hands, making sure to get a perfect angle. “Every fairy knows the best pranks happen when someone’s asleep. That way, they won’t know what hit them when they wake up. It’ll bother them for the whole day.” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” Luna said. Star carried herself down to grab a plate from Luna’s hands. After a moment, she continued; “Won’t we be the ones cleaning it up though?” 

This made Star stop in her tracks. She didn’t respond yet, so Luna tentatively elaborated. “I-if we break all of our cups and plates, we’ll be kind of screwed…” 

Maybe it was Star’s powers at work, but the atmosphere in the room changed. What was once a focused environment was quickly beginning to feel choked with tension. Without a word, Star touched back down, setting the plate on the nightstand. From where Luna was standing, Star’s expression was obscured.

Luna worriedly reached a hand out. “Um, Star-?” She cut herself off and yelped quietly. Star had wheeled around and clapped her hands on Luna’s shoulders, staring her dead in the face. Her eyes bore an intensity that Luna had never seen on her before; from her experience, only the Hakurei miko was capable of giving out such intense looks on a regular basis.

Star breathed in calmly before speaking. “Luna,” she said, her voice clear and precise. “We need to take all these plates off of Sunny.” 

“B-but-” Luna interjected.

Star cut her off. “You’re right. We’ve made a horrible mistake. If Sunny moves at all, th… then…” She trailed off, hearing a faint voice behind her. She turned her head slowly behind her, and Luna followed her gaze…

Sunny’s face crinkled up, the beginnings of a movement. She opened her mouth, and gave a slight tilt of her head. “Ah… Ah…” 

One slight movement was all that was needed. The horrific stack of ceramic-ware, their half-baked prank, shifted as soon as Sunny tilted her head to sneeze. The shifting turned into leaning, and the leaning accelerated to full-on toppling, the stack of their doom careening quickly off to the side, threatening to connect with the nightstand. 

Time seemed to slow down; Star whipped around, reaching towards the now falling stack. Luna attempted to sprint over, but tripped, falling flat on her face. Sunny, oblivious of the impending doom, gave one last resistance. “Ah…!” 

“A- _ CHOO! _ ” 

* * *

The hottest day of the year happened to be a slightly remarkable one, for anyone who decided to take shelter at the Hakurei Shrine. At around 12:15 PM, in the middle of a lunch break, a deafening crash was heard from somewhere behind the shrine. This was a cause for alarm, so the shrine maiden was asked to investigate reluctantly. 

What she found was rather peculiar, though; bits of glass and ceramics were found scattered across the ground on the south-eastern side of the tree. There was even a mostly-intact mug, though it was chipped on the rim in a few places. Reimu concluded that it was strange, but there was no reason to panic. It was likely the half-baked prank of some fairies that went wrong. Making sure there was no permanent damage, Reimu took the mug and left back to the shrine, taking care to assuage the fears of anyone who asked. 


	5. Day 7 - Enchanted (Reimu Hakurei & Yachie Kicchou)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Reimu had stepped into Yachie’s trap; now, she had no choice but to lie in it. For whatever reason, Yachie wanted to Reimu over lunch, and the shrine maiden was resolved to see it through. She just had to be on her guard._
> 
> Reimu and Yachie plan a lunch date, but something feels off...

“Tch. Asking me to do something like this on such short notice… what’s her idea?” Reimu Hakurei, the Hakurei shrine maiden, mumbled loud enough for only her to hear. Of course, with her flying, anyone hearing her would hardly be an issue. As it was, she was taking herself at a leisurely pace, enjoying the afternoon breeze as she made her way to Gensokyo’s sole human village. Unless she encountered any stray youkai that were causing trouble, she was totally safe, and more importantly, on time. She had something to do at the village, after all. She quickly ran over the events from yesterday morning. 

* * *

  


For some reason, Yachie Kicchou, one of the Beast World’s most powerful figures, had come to visit the shrine. Like any reasonable person, she was skeptical. Yachie, though, was perfectly relaxed as she approached.

“Greetings, Hakurei,” the tortoise-dragon said. 

“...Hey,” Reimu replied, taking care to seem bored.

“Why so cold, shrine maiden? I’m simply here as a visitor.”

“Sure, if you say so,” Reimu said dismissively. Yachie humphed slightly in response, and Reimu felt her adrenaline spike. Did she really just do that in front of _ Yachie Kicchou _? If the gang leader got upset with her, then she’d be utterly screwed. “Um, r-right,” Reimu quickly added, flushing slightly. “You just wanted to talk, then?”

Yachie tilted her head to the side slightly, apparently satisfied with Reimu’s answer. She said, “Somewhat. I came here to thank you for your cooperation, for one.” She offered her palm. “The Kiketsu family is very grateful for the work you did. That otter spirit you were with was singing your praises left and right,” she finished with a calm smile.

As Yachie spoke, an odd feeling of relief washed over the shrine maiden. “Is that so? Thanks, I guess,” Reimu said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “Those spirits of yours definitely helped at the end there. I mean, I didn’t know they could be that courageous.”

“Yes, it’s quite odd for my subordinates to be on the front lines like that, I’ll admit. However, when there is a job that needs to get done, they will do it no questions asked. They’re… _ otterly _ loyal, you could say,” Yachie joked. 

“Heheh…” That pun was awful, but Reimu thought Yachie definitely had a way of making it less groan-worthy. “I can see why.” 

“In fact, I have yours with me right now.” As if on cue, a previously invisible otter spirit faded in at Yachie’s side, glowing a calming green. Though it looked basically identical to the others, Reimu got a feeling of familiarity from this one that she couldn’t shake. Yachie was definitely telling the truth; this was the one.

“Thank you again, Lady Hakurei! Your help could not be more appreciated!” The spirit said, quick and to the point. 

“It’s no big deal, really.” Reimu brushed it off. But she had to admit, it was nice seeing the spirit again. 

“No, really! We could not have done it without your assistance-!”  


“Alright, that’s enough,” Yachie cut off--no, it was as if she spoke exactly when she was meant to. That’s what an air of authority gets you, Reimu supposed. “Thank you for the kind words, otter spirit, but you’re no longer needed.”  


“O-of course, Lady Kicchou!” The spirit quickly faded out of sight. 

Yachie nodded and cleared her throat, looking back to Reimu. “As for the second item… simply put, I wished to repay you for your service to us. What do you say we meet for lunch in the human village tomorrow, at around 2? I’m not familiar with the local restaurants, of course, but I’m sure you wouldn’t mind showing me around.”

“Sure, I can do that. I know a pretty good ramen place,” Reimu replied.

“That sounds perfect,” Yachie smiled coolly and bowed, which Reimu quickly returned. “I’ll be seeing you tomorrow at the village entrance, then?” 

“Yeah, definitely.” Reimu said. Yachie unbowed, Reimu making positive she was before unbowing herself; the gang leader turned around, walking away from the shrine, and that was that. 

Reimu exhaled a sigh of relief. Yachie was cordial, but she sure had a suffocating aura. Hopefully things wouldn’t be so formal during their lunch date tomorrow…

  


* * *

As her destination sailed into view over the horizon, Reimu hesitated. She hovered in the air, watching with uncertainty. At the sight of the village, thoughts that she had been pushing to the back of her mind since her meeting yesterday began to surface. 

_ That must’ve been Yachie using her powers on me, wasn’t it? I’m definitely not so quick to be polite around most people, especially not someone who effectively used me a week ago. Shit. _ Reimu bit her lip, looking behind her. _ I don’t have a real reason to be meeting her. I should just blow her off and turn back. _

Reimu thought this, but something deep in her heart knew that this wasn’t an option. This was Yacchie Kicchou she was talking about; the tortoise-dragon was a powerful figure in the Beast World, and she knew her way around politics. If she wanted to, she could easily make Reimu’s life a living hell for the next few months as some kind of stupid “revenge”. 

Reimu had stepped into Yachie’s trap; now, she had no choice but to lie in it. For whatever reason, Yachie wanted to Reimu over lunch, and the shrine maiden was resolved to see it through. She just had to be on her guard. Yachie was not to be trusted; if she remembered that fact, everything should be ok. Steeling her heart, Reimu set out again to her destination, and after only another couple minutes, she touched down just outside the entrance to the village. 

Sure enough, Yachie was there, standing right near the gate as she casually observed her surroundings. After a moment, her eyes landed on Reimu and she waved. _ No turning back now, _ Reimu thought, and she approached Yachie with a closed heart. 

“Good to see you, Hakurei,” Yachie said. “How are you?” 

“I’m fine,” Reimu said. She had to choose her words carefully.

“That’s good. I’m doing quite well, myself. Gensokyo really has some beautiful weather compared to the Beast World.”

“Mmh.”

“...Well, at any rate, you wanted to show me around, yes? I know we agreed on that ramen place, but I really would love to see what some of the village has to offer.” She held her cool gaze with Reimu’s. 

Reimu looked away, past Yachie’s head. If it was eye contact she wanted, she wasn’t getting it. “I’m not sure if that’s in the cards for today.” 

“Hm? Why’s that?”

“An… outsider getting the lay of the land would spell trouble for everyone involved.”

Yachie didn’t respond at first, her ever present smile falling slightly. Reimu just barely prevented herself from visibly cringing. Of all things to hesitate on that, it had to be that. Her heart felt like it wanted to leap out of her throat; her adrenaline spiked again. Reimu tensed all her muscles as Yachie’s eyes bore into her.

After far too long, Yachie started giggling lightly. She moved the back of her hand up to cover her mouth. “Hakurei, don’t be silly. You and I both know that as much as I’m an… outsider, I hardly have any interest in causing an incident up here again. My goal is accomplished.”

“W… well, that’s true…” Reimu admitted. Yachie had a point.

“On top of that, if you wanted to prevent me from getting ‘the lay of the land’, I could easily do that anytime I wanted. I’m no stranger to flying, and my otter spirits are capable of making themselves very difficult to spot.”

“...” It was quickly sinking in that Yachie is likely telling the truth; Reimu’s seen it first hand, after all. But... She had to offer up some resistance. She wouldn’t allow herself to fail here. “Still, it's the principle of the whole thing, Th… the shrine maiden showing some youkai around the human village would raise alarms all over.” 

“Ah, is that your concern? I wouldn’t worry about it,” the gang leader crossed her arms confidently. “I’m very persuasive. If anyone asks, I can provide an adequate explanation for my appearance.” 

Reimu stared hard, trying to think of a rebuttal, but… even after a few seconds, she was left totally blank. Everything Yachie’s said has been the complete truth. A deep sense of shame bubbled up inside her. How could she disrespect Yachie Kicchou like this without any good reason at all? “I, er…” 

“Hm?”

  
  
“S-sorry. Sorry about that, Yachie. Damnit, we’re gonna be late now…” Reimu laughed nervously. 

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” Yachie responded; her smile had returned by now. “I find your resolve quite admirable.”

“Right… thanks.” Reimu sighed. At least Yachie wasn’t mad at her.

“At any rate, it’s about time, isn’t it? I’m quite hungry.” She offered her palm out for Reimu to take, and she did so. 

“Yeah, same here. After we eat, we could start at the shopping district and work our way out,” Reimu said, and when Yachie grunted in assent, she led the gang leader inside. Their conversation continued even after reaching the restaurant, and then some. 

Reimu couldn’t help it; she was enchanted.


	6. Day 8 - Frail (Okuyasu Nijimura)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _ “I’ve been thinking…” Okuyasu flexed his hand. His Stand, The Hand, appeared behind him with a bassy woosh, mimicking his motions. Josuke already had a feeling where this was going, but Okuyasu continued, “Where does all the crap that I scrape away go?”_
> 
> Okuyasu has a burning question about his Stand's power.

“Oi, Josuke!” 

“Huh?” Josuke Higashikata looked up from his homework. The door to the classroom where he’d been hiding out in during lunch was slammed open. None other than Okuyasu Nijimura, his best friend, was standing there in the doorway. The chances of it being anyone else were really slim, since Okuyasu’s the only one who goes around yelling at people to get their attention regardless of the circumstances, but still. 

“I know you’re busy with that homework you skipped on, but there’s been a question burning in my mind all day and I have to ask you!” Okuyasu sauntered into the room.

“Can it wait, man? I gotta get this shit done or the teacher’s gonna be pissed.” Josuke said, looking back down to his half-finished homework sheet.

“No way, bro! It’s super important.” Okuyasu said. 

But Josuke had already begun to tune him out at this point; he squinted at the paper, trying to make sense of the math problem.

“JOSUKE!” Okuyasu grabbed Josuke from behind by the shoulders and started shaking him, causing him to jump and drop his pencil. 

“Alright, alright! I get it man! Now stop shaking me, damnit!”

Okuyasu thankfully relinquished his grip. Josuke humphed and patted down his uniform. Then, he kicked his feet up onto the desk and leaned his chair back on two legs, tilting his head so he could see Okuyasu behind him. “So, what’s up? I hope this is actually something important, cause I’m kind of on a crunch here.”

“I’ve been thinking…” Okuyasu flexed his hand. His Stand, The Hand, appeared behind him with a bassy woosh, mimicking his motions. Josuke already had a feeling where this was going, but Okuyasu continued, “Where does all the crap that I scrape away go?” 

Even from looking at his face upside down, Josuke looked bored. “Oi, what’s with that face? I’m serious here,” Okuyasu said. 

Josuke looked forward again, spinning the pencil (which he had apparently picked up earlier) in between his fingers. “You ask this question like every month. We never really come to a satisfying conclusion either. Don’t you get tired of wondering about it?” 

“Not really.” 

Josuke sighed. “Good point.” He turned around in his chair to look at Okuyasu again. He crossed his arms and rested his chin atop the back of the chair before continuing, “Well, have you figured anything out about it?”

Okuyasu, who pulled a face of severe contemplation, brought The Hand’s right hand up to his face. “Not really. I mean,” he leaned forward as if studying it, “It’s not like our Stand abilities make sense in the first place.” 

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s like…” Okuyasu scratched his head. “They don’t really follow physics or anything.”

“Well, yeah. Stands are like, a whole other dimension or something. Only Stand users can see other Stands, so they aren’t gonna follow physics anyway.”

“...Ohhh,” Okuyasu said, his face visibly dawning with clarity. He punched Josuke lightly on the shoulder, pumping his fist excitedly. “You’re a genius, Josuke! Thanks to you, I’ve got it all figured out!” 

Josuke rubbed his shoulder and furrowed his eyebrows at Okuyasu. “Really? What is it?” 

“Stands are from another dimension!”

Josuke started. “Wait, I meant that as, like, a metaphorical thing! Don’t be a dumbass.”

“I’m being serious, though! Hear me out.” When Josuke didn’t immediately respond, Okuyasu continued, “If our Stands are from another dimension, then if they aren’t leaving shit here, they’re taking it to theirs!” Okuyasu pounded his fist into his palm for emphasis, grinning like a mad scientist. “It makes total sense, right?” 

“No way, dude!” Josuke practically launched up from his chair; it squeaked as it got pushed across the floor. 

“The hell do you mean, ‘no way’?” 

“C’mon, think about this. Sure, Stands are weird, but there’s no way there’s some other world where they all come from. That sounds like something from a bad sci-fi movie.”

“I didn’t say ‘world’, I said ‘dimension’!” Okuyasu countered with a cocky grin.

  
  
“Same difference, it doesn’t matter!” Josuke jabbed his pencil at his friend. “Stands are supposed to be a manifestation of the soul. Jotaro said as much. If that were the case, why the hell would they be coming from some other dimension?” 

“Where else would they come from?”

  
  
“Our bodies, dumbass! I just said that--” an overloaded bass sound reverberated in the air in front of Josuke, and the front half of his pencil shattered in his hand. Josuke jumped back. “Jesus, dude! Are you trying to take my goddamn hand off?” 

“I want to prove a point, bro! Try and fix that pencil.” Okuyasu shook his hand as if he’d just punched something hard. 

“...Huh?” Josuke lowered his accusing arm slightly. “Why?”

“I don’t really remember, but I don’t think you’ve ever tried to fix something The Hand fucked up before, right?”

“...” Josuke thought for a moment. “No, probably not.” 

“I wanna see how it works, then!”

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess I’m curious too.” Josuke raised the pencil back up, studying it for a moment. Satisfied, he tossed it up in the air. “CRAZY DIAMOND!” He called out, and Crazy Diamond was summoned by his side; it gave the pencil one solid punch and immediately called it back. Now all he had to do was wait. 

The pencil, instead of clattering to the ground like normal, halted in the air, a yellow aura surrounding it. At first, it didn’t seem like it was doing much; but after a moment, it started shivering and shimmering in its spot.

“What the… hell?” Josuke looked on in confusion and began to sweat. 

“Huh. I’ve never seen it do that before,” Okuyasu said. He approached it and crouched down to its level with a hand on his chin. He studied it as if it were some kind of science experiment; though honestly, it might as well be. 

The pencil’s vibrations only increased over time, and it began to rotate in place as well, almost as if it was searching for its missing pieces. Okuyasu  _ ooh _ ’d quietly, but Josuke was absolutely captivated in silence. The pencil’s freak out continued to intensify, shaking and spinning with increasing fervor. Josuke had half a mind to summon his Stand in case it ended up splintering all over the place, but just as he had the thought, the pencil emitted some kind of high pitched whine and then--

The pencil was gone. The place it previously occupied was now empty, with only a comical popping sound as the pencil disappeared. Josuke and Okuyasu stared for almost 30 seconds, completely dumbfounded. Eventually, though, they looked to each other almost on cue.

“Holy shit,” they both said in unison. 

Okuyasu whooped and pumped his fist in the air. “I was right!” 

“H-hey, what the hell?” Josuke stood back up, glaring at him. “No you weren’t!”

“It went to the other dimension! I bet if I could go there right now, the pencil would be completely fixed!” 

“Oh my fucking god,” Josuke said. He groaned and ran a hand through his pompadour. Somehow, Okuyasu was actually right, or at least it was more plausible than his theory. Josuke thought it was just gonna do nothing, but nope; it just popped right out of existence, as if it never happened in the first place. And now, it was potentially in some other weird Stand dimension where Stands live. Not to mention, that was his only pencil, too. How was he supposed to get any work done now? This sucked. 

“You have to buy me a soda from the vending machine now!” Okuyasu cheered, laughing his ass off.

“Fine, whatever,” Josuke said. “But you owe me a goddamn pencil.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I'm being honest this went completely off course from the prompt but I think it's better this way so oh well


	7. Day 10 - Pattern (Tsumugi Shirogane)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR DANGANRONPA V3 AND THE REST OF THE SERIES AHEAD**
> 
> ******
> 
> Tsumugi tries to find a way to relax after their fourth class trial.

“Hummmmm…” Tsumugi Shirogane drummed her fingers along the top of her sewing table. She was planning to get work done today, she really was, but today just felt so… sluggish. Everyone was incredibly wary of Kokichi, and for good reason; the Supreme Leader always had something up his sleeve, but after the last trial, he seemed more suspicious than ever. Poor Gonta… he really didn’t deserve someone like Kokichi Ouma bossing him around. 

That horrific excuse of a trial was only yesterday, so people were really bummed out about it. The oppressive atmosphere during breakfast, while understandable, was pretty much unbearable. Not to mention, Kokichi managed to get away with their customary gift this time--whatever that keycard was--yanking it straight out of Monokuma’s furry paws and making a break for it before anyone could catch him. This ended up leaving everyone in a really sour mood. Tsumugi was hoping to escape the doldrums by holing up in her lab for a bit, but…

These patterns really weren’t inspiring her. The Ultimate Cosplayer could think of nothing. Nada. Zilch. Tsumugi groaned, flopping back against the back of her posture chair with a  _ fwumpf _ . She could try out a variation of a black and white suit, maybe, but that didn’t really feel… personal. And probably more than a little tasteless, given the situation. If someone walked in on her making that, she would definitely get an earful. She sighed and pushed away from the table, getting up and walking over to her rack of completed outfits. Pushing past the usual, she mentally counted out each iteration of a character. Thankfully, she was a real stickler for organization, so the rack’s outfits were ordered by date. Which means... 

“Aha!” Just what Tsumugi was looking for. It didn’t really look special at all, at first glance; a neatly pressed black suit jacket, a plain white undershirt and a simple black tie, along with some black slacks to complete the look. Without the wig, it really just looked like some boring businessman’s work outfit. However, this plain suit hid an amazing secret, possibly the best one in the history of her favorite series. Thankfully, finding the wig would be a snap. 

The cosplayer didn’t plan on wearing it, though; she just wanted to reminisce. “Ahhh, Izuru…” Tsumugi sighed dreamily. “You really were one of the best villains… Sure, it was a little before my time, but everyone always says to watch the classics first!” 

Honestly, Izuru Kamukura was still one of the best twist villains; a trendsetter, she could say. The team pulled the ‘protagonist is actually the villain’ angle at least seven times after Izuru, to varying success--hell, she even contributed to one of those, since she was the protagonist in the 47th season as well as the amnesiatic mastermind--but even she had to admit, none of them did it as well as the first. 

Of course, whenever Tsumugi had past seasons on the brain, it was a little bit hard to separate them all clearly, especially after the first twelve or so. Once you’ve been in the business for so long, you start to realize a few… patterns: things that make the formula tick. She could imagine it being explained now, in  _ her _ voice… The cosplayer nearly shuddered at the thought; but she could do one better. Knowing the others, they wouldn’t be up here for at least another hour or two. That was plenty of time. 

Pushing up her glasses, Tsumugi fussed her hair into a ponytail and grabbed her clipboard. Not perfect, but good enough for an impromptu lecture. She skittered over to her whiteboard and grabbed the black expo marker, tapping it experimentally against the hard surface. She cleared her throat and, at once, launched into her best, most perfect impression of Junko Enoshima.

“There are three basic categories of participants in  _ Danganronpa _ ,” Junko illustrated. “Killers, Victims, and Survivors. This, of course, is basic knowledge, but set-up is important.” She wrote each category on the board in perfect academic handwriting and separated them into columns, dotting a bullet point under each of them. 

Tsumugi whirled and her hair was in pigtails, now, her face pushed up into a cutesy cat-like smile. “Kiwwews awe weawwy impowtant to kiwwing games, but why do they kiww?” Placing a crown on top of her head, she continued haughtily; “We could answer ‘Motives’, and We would be right,” she paused, writing  _ MOTIVE _ down under the Killer column, “but We must state that it is absolutely not that simple!” 

The crown was off, now, and Tsumugi stuck her tongue out, crossing her arms and glaring at her imaginary audience. “The fuckin’ chumps who always go for the kill have something to lose in their pathetic lives!” The clipboard was on again as she continued in her academic voice, “There are exceptions to the rule, yes, but whenever a killer is spurred to kill, they wish to prove something to themselves or another person, whether said person is present or not. This is the beauty of the motive.” She quickly wrote down  _ SOMETHING TO LOSE _ as the second bullet point. When Tsumugi turned back around, she moped as mushrooms inexplicably sprouted on her head. “It’s almost despairingly pointless… especially since they always get caught in the end. I guess they think trying their luck is better than not doing anything…” 

Back to the punk voice. “That’s why it’s so fuckin’ exciting, though! The best killers are the ones who want to prove a point and go the extra mile to do it!” For once, Tsumugi quickly switched into a ‘normal’ Junko voice, looking to the side un-amusedly. “Honestly? It’s pretty fucked up. Kaede didn’t deserve to die the way she did, trying to find the Mastermind and all… Too bad it was right in front of her the whole time. So much despair, am I right?” 

The academic voice was back on as Tsumugi addressed the audience once more. “Next up are the quintessential victims. Without them, there would be no killers.” She illustrated an arrow pointing from Killer to Victim. “These poor saps are often pushing their luck in ways that bring them unwanted attention. Turn to page 53 and you’ll see a wonderful example in Angie Yonaga.” The cutesy voice continued, “It was weawwy a shame, she had so much potentwial to be a gweat viwwain! But Kowekiyo ended hew wife just wike a candle in the night…” She sobbed as the mushrooms grew back. “It’s despairingly soul-crushing.” 

Tsumugi returned to the regal voice. “Of course, We can’t forget those who display just the opposite-- victims who care so little about their well-being that they’ll offer themselves up to victimhood! We agree that this is very noble, indeed.” Tsumugi quickly turned around and wrote two bulletpoints:  _ OVERZEALOUSNESS  _ and  _ WILL TO LIVE _ . The academic voice came back once more as she turned around to continue, “It should be stated that the first bullet point is not only reserved for villains, as those who push themselves out of the goodness of their hearts will often see their early end, as well. 

“Now, let’s talk about our despairfully stubborn survivors, shall we?” She switched to the punk voice; “These punk-ass bitches are one of three things: the protagonist, the protag’s best buds, or a complete waste of breath!” She wrote down these bullets on the board; to further illustrate, she drew crude doodles of previous survivors next to each category. Her ‘normal’ voice presented itself as she turned back to her audience of none; “They can be, like,  _ really _ hard to pinpoint sometimes though. Someone like Ryoma was supposed to live to the end, but you can’t win em all, I guess.” Tsumugi hefted a heavy sigh. She let this particular point linger for a few moments.

“Weww! Any qwestions?” The cutesy voice asked, lifting her pawed-up hands to her chin. There was no response, of course, but Tsumugi didn’t need one. She finally broke character, giggling maniacally to herself. 

“Oh, man…” She pushed away a pinprick of a tear in her eye, turning around to erase the board. “The audience is gonna eat Junko up once they figure it out!~” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, today was spent playing catch-up, but I will not be releasing Day 11, Snow, in this collection; instead, it will be a more fully-fledged oneshot released later. Unforeseen circumstances have made me want to flesh out the idea a bit more than what's possible in a day. Thanks for your patience!


End file.
